Year in Review: Dickerson made quite the debut in 2008, slashing .304/.413/.608 in 122 late-season plate appearances. That’s a sweet line, but hard to believe from a guy who’d struck out in approximately 30% of his minor league plate appearances before the August promotion. A .410 BABIP over the same timeframe confirms that suspicion. Yet, Dickerson’s 2009 didn’t suffer quite the degree of regression as one might’ve thought. The outfielder still posted a decent, if less potent, line of .275/.370/.373 (good for a .339 wOBA) in 299 PAs. The .364 BABIP is high-ish, but not entirely out of line for a lefty batter with speed. Moreover, his walk and strikeout rates of 13.3% and 25.9%, respectively, suggest a player who’s got something like a plan at the plate.

The Year Ahead: There are signs that Dickerson could be a productive player both in the real and fantasy realms; however, playing time will be an issue. Dickerson’s abbreviated totals were the result less of a lack of commitment from the team and more from Dickerson’s own injury problems. Ankles, shoulders, head, and back: according to the Fantasy Pitch F/X Injury Tool, they kept Dickerson out of the lineup a total of 66 days. The good news is that Dickerson somehow managed to find playing time even before Baker-fave Willy Taveras’s injury. The bad news is that the Reds outfield remains quite full, with Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs, Wladimir Balentien, Laynce Nix, and prospect Chris Heisey all competing for time. Dickerson’s probably not worth a draft pick but could be valuable in the event of trades/injuries. (Carson Cistulli)

Profile: Dickerson showed some promise as a rookie in Cincinnati in 2008, carrying a .432 wOBA (and .410 BABIP) in 132 plate appearances. It's been all downhill since, as Dickerson has 'hit' .256/.334/.346 in the meantime, while showing a shocking inability to make contact at the big league level, twice whiffing in over 30 percent of his plate appearances, allbeit in a limited sample size. He's a capable defender at all three outfield positions, and has carried a .750 OPS thus far in about a season's full of plate appearances. That'll probably keep affording him the opportunity to stick at the big league level, but only if his recent run of whiffs proves fleeting. (Brandon Warne)

The Quick Opinion: He's a utility outfielder at best right now, and as a result you should run screaming the other way.

Profile: A three true outcomes guy without the one most important outcome, Chris Dickerson finds himself a free agent this offseason after being outrighted by the Orioles at the end of 2013. He appeared in 56 games with Baltimore, many just as a pinch runner, and did his best Kelly Shoppach impression when they did let him hit (33% strikeout rate, four home runs in 105 at bats). Dickerson’s minor league profile suggests he could get on base and steal if given the chance, and the fact that he’s a lefty who can play all three outfield positions means someone may give him the shot as a fifth outfielder. The complete lack of contact (72.5 percent) in 708 major league plate appearances should leave you skeptical, though. (Blake Murphy)

The Quick Opinion: Chris Dickerson's best case scenario for 2014 is a role as a utility outfielder and pinch runner. There's no fantasy utility in his bat, though, and the odd steal won't be worth a spot on your watch list.

Profile: Chris Dickerson looks like a lot more than he is. Built like a linebacker, ex-teammate Nick Swisher described Dickerson in 2014 as having "light-tower power." Unfortunately, not only is that a phrase Nick tosses around quite a bit, but the power has never quite surfaced for Dickerson. Rather, what has surfaced for Dickerson were a ton of strikeouts, and a ton of new teams. Dickerson has been with four different organizations in the last three years, and finds himself without a team as of this writing. The toolsy 32-year-old outfielder will likely latch on with another organization in some capacity for 2015, but his ceiling is no higher than what he's done the past two seasons: 100 or so mediocre plate appearances in an injury-riddled outfield. (August Fagerstrom)

The Quick Opinion: Chris Dickerson looks like he should be a perennial All-Star contender, but unfortunately physical appearance doesn't always equate to production. Dickerson is largely a Quad-A, replacement-level type, and doesn't have much upside past a utility outfielder role.